ALPAKA Wash Kit Review

The ALPAKA Wash Kit’s unassuming exterior doesn’t hint much at the functionality it packs inside. Then again, ALPAKA’s always done a good job of donning their gear in all-black, sleek, and urbanized aesthetics. Whether that’s to their detriment of being too uninviting, or to their advantage of being mysteriously tempting, we’ll leave it to you, the reader keen on finding the best toiletry bag for their traveling needs.

We’re in the same boat, and while we can’t hand over this sample we’re reviewing, we’re sharing our insights on what makes the ALPAKA Wash Kit a compelling option—let’s dive in.

External Components

The main material on this toiletry bag is ECOPAK EPX400, courtesy of the Challenge Outdoor company. ECOPAK is an interesting fabric since it’s derived from sailcloth and features a few layers of different materials to keep things waterproof. On the outer layer is a 400-denier recycled polyester face with PFAS-free DWR coating, a 45-degree Blue CrossPly, and a 70-denier ripstop backing. It’s not an overly thick or heavy fabric, as evidenced by the outer layer’s relatively light denier. Consequently, the entire Wash Kit still feels light and easy to carry around despite how rigid the fabric feels when you try to stretch it.

To top things off, ALPAKA opted for YKK AquaGuard zippers to keep any splashes from seeping into the main compartment. That said, there are still gaps at the end of the zipper track, and there’s really no airtight seal to speak of. In other words, as waterproof as the materials are, this wash kit still isn’t submersible. The zippers also feature Hypalon pulls, which have a sort of rubbery texture that’s easy to grab, even when your hands are still wet from showering.

Off to the side is the ALPAKA Wash Kit’s lone grab handle and an attachment loop. They’re both closed loops, so you’ll either have to find open hooks or doorknobs if you wish to hang the Wash Kit or use a carabiner clip for fixtures such as towel racks and shower curtain rods. This is a bit nitpicky, but we do want to acknowledge that other toiletry bags, such as the Gravel Explorer MINI Toiletry Bag and Peak Design Wash Pouch, have open loops or hooks.

Inside The Toiletry Bag

There’s only one secondary pocket, and it’s at the front. It’s a straight zippered opening, and you’re meant to store your toothbrush and toothpaste inside, at least based on what we can see on ALPAKA’s website. The interior has a slick, plasticky liner that feels very resistant to liquids, so putting a damp toothbrush and even a potentially leaky tube of toothpaste here makes sense. The only gripe we have is that the pocket is a bit on the shorter side, so full-sized toothbrushes don’t fit so easily, nor do large electric ones.

Alternatively, you can put other toiletries here instead, such as packets of wet wipes, bobby pins, cotton swabs, and makeup remover wipes. However, we wouldn’t put anything sharp here since the slick liner material probably won’t hold up well against pointy gear, such as safety pins and razors.

The main compartment opens in a similar fashion: a straight zippered opening. Admittedly, this is one of our key gripes with the ALPAKA Wash Kit since it doesn’t give you a good view of the interior. It would’ve been fine if the interior were just a huge empty space. However, there are pockets off to the sides that are not so easily visible—let alone accessible—with this kind of opening. We are glad that the liner is quite bright and contrasts nicely with dark-colored items, but it’s not enough to compensate for the overall small opening.

On one side are mesh pockets. They are separated at the edge, but they’re otherwise connected along their lengths, so you can insert something like a makeup brush into both of them. Across the other side is a see-through liner pocket. We get that this pocket is transparent for better visibility. But, again, once you fill all of the empty spaces, it’s really hard to discern anything. And anyway, you’re looking at your toiletries from the top, not the sides, so we’re not really sure of the benefit of this pocket’s see-through material.

All those pockets are also quite shallow. We tried packing small bits of toiletries in them, such as contacts, eye drops, ointments, etc. However, their shallowness means those items simply fell out once we tossed the ALPAKA Wash Kit around. So, you can just imagine how disorganized everything will be once baggage handlers get their hands on your gear.

As for capacity, 1.3 liters seems a healthy volume, since we’ve tested other toiletry bags with similar or even less room. However, we really struggled to find travel bottles that fit easily, especially in terms of height. The GoToobs we typically use seem too tall, while any alternative travel bottles that do fit don’t fill the horizontal space very efficiently. We could fit the basics, such as shampoo, liquid soap, a few makeup items, and a small grooming kit. However, you’ll have to put in the time, ensuring everything fits together in the most efficient way possible.